April 2011

Does the new technology of mix 'n' splice
mean the end of Popular Song as we know it? Or the start of a new
open-ended dance afterlife? The death of the Original, or the birth
of the infinite version? David Toop looks/locks into a brand new
time lapse. This article originally appeared in The Wire
103 (September 1992). David Toop reflects on writing the essay
below.

March 2011

In its original incarnation, Electro was
black science fiction teleported to the dancefloors of New York,
Miami and LA; a super-stoopid fusion of video games, techno-pop,
graffiti art, silver space suits and cyborg funk. Now that Electro
is back, David Toop provides a thumbnail guide to the music that
posed the eternal question: "Watupski, bug byte?" This article
originally appeared in The Wire 145 (March 1996).